Liberian delegation outlines investment possibilities and opportunities to American

Monday, 2nd April 2012

Liberiaís delegation to the Liberia and United States Business Summit 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia has been outlining the investment possibilities and opportunities to American investors, under the theme Liberia a rising star in the emerging markets.

Vice President Boakai in his keynote address to the summit said Liberia sees the Forum not only as an opportunity to open markets and exchange goods, but to exchange ideas about sustainable growth and development and the sharing of best practices.

He said as the peace and stability of Liberia improves, it is clear that human security is not just an absence of violence; but also the presence of opportunity. Our young people are looking for opportunities, freedoms, and greater voice in their society to reconstruct their lives, the Vice President pointed out.

A dispatch from Atlanta quotes the VP Media Relations Director George Saah that Liberia has put in place laws and legislation to make trading with Liberia easier, and thatís where opportunities for doing business and commerce come in, because Government is committed to the improvement in the overall business environment in Liberia. We recognize that by embracing investors, and encouraging joint ventures with our local businesses, both foreign and local entities can benefit and take full advantage of our rich market potential the Vice President told the more than 300 investors in the forum hosted by Clarke Atlanta University.

Vice President Boakai said Liberia is blessed with huge untapped natural resource potential, youthful human capital, investment-friendly policies that allow you as business people the opportunity to invest in our country. Our Commerce Ministry in conjunction with the National Investment Commission has created a one-stop-shop business registry that has reduced the burden placed on business investors in the past, VP Boakai informed the forum.

The dispatch further quoted the VP as saying that agriculture accounts for over 70 percent of Liberiaís GDP, with remarkable forest resources, vast land with low population density and excellent tropical rainfall and ecosystem.

Speaking further, VP Boakai pointed out that these factors are a major advantage for mechanized agricultural activities that could make Liberia the breadbasket for over 400 million people in the ECOWAS region.

He said there is a great potential for development of the value added processes including juice manufacturing, sawmills and agro-industrial processing plants.